My friends & I are obsessed with a few things. One of them is Rock Band. Another is The Beatles. There are a few others that fall in the middle, but our lives always come back to those two things. So for us, The Beatles & Rock Band was a marriage made in musical video game heaven.
It's just like classic Rock Band, with a few new things (not counting the fact that you play as The Beatles). The singer has the option to sing solos or harmonies, for one. Then there are the special Beatles quirks: when the singer hits a note, normal Rock Band just says, "Awesome!" Beatles Rock Band says, "Fab!" Minor, but amusing, especially for Beatles fans. You also have the option to adjust the level of screaming girls before you start playing - they can actually scream louder than the music. They don't completely drown you out, & if you're really focused you won't notice it as much, but they definitely do reach impressive volumes. And they get louder when you use your Star Power. At least that's what it's called in Guitar Hero, in Rock Band I think it's different.
Another addition is you collect photos. You don't really have to, it's just an added challenge, but the better you perform, the more photos you get.
Now, the fun stuff. In story mode you're basically playing a watered down version of the history of The Beatles, & things change accordingly. You start out in Liverpool, the band has their little bowl haircuts & suits, & the graphics are of screaming girls & the band playing. You play in chapters, each with a different set of songs corresponding to that era, with an introductory cartoon showing pictures & footage of the band. When you get to the Abbey Road sessions, things get more interesting. The band's appearance changes & the screaming girls are replaced by a studio, & the graphics become what can only be described as an acid trip. Is it a commentary on the psychedelic nature of some of the songs, or on what the band did when they weren't recording? Only John, Paul, George, & Ringo will ever know for sure. But more than once, mid-song, one of us said, "Guys, I think we're tripping." And if you're familiar with Beatles history, even only vaguely, you know that when you get to the rooftop concert levels, the end is nigh.
The most fun, naturally, is in the actual songs, & seasoned Rock Band players can jump right in on the higher difficulties with no real problem. We had a blast getting to play many of our favorite Beatles tunes, & the more we liked the song, we found, the better we performed. Plus it makes for excellent group sing-a-longs, because even though there is one designated singer, everyone sings anyway. It made for a very fun night in.
Unfortunately, it's not perfect. Players of the original Rock Band will recall how it doesn't seem to really end. This time, the game is too short, especially for the big price tag. We beat it, including the encore, in about three hours, without failing a single song. To put that into better perspective, I got the first Rock Band two Christmases ago & we still haven't beat it. Sure, The Beatles Rock Band followed the story of the actual band, but there are ways to make actual story game play longer. Like including more songs, for example. Plenty of the classics are included, but plenty aren't, as well. Our theory? That they're going to offer a lot of downloadable content, which you have to pay for. Sure, it's genius marketing, but it's also not exactly fair.
Those two things aside, there's nothing really to complain about. Unless you have to play through your least favorite songs, but hey, that's your problem.
Four out of five stars. Would've gotten five if it wasn't so short.
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